AIBU - restrictive school snack policy, hungry child

[nemoni]

Our children's school (primary) has a policy of only allowing fruit and vegetables for snacks at school. Completely get the rationale - healthy eating, relatively easy to set parameters, no overly complex education needed around it etc.

The only problem is I have an active child - plays sport (on top of PE etc) 5 days a week and generally on the go. He comes home from school ravenously hungry, grumpy and tired. He's also going through a growth spurt. I'd like to be able to give him more carbohydrates, even protein, during the day as snacks, as I do on weekends, particularly on days he goes to after school sports sessions. I'm not asking for crisps/chocolate/jam sandwiches etc.

School so far saying no, no, no.

I think it's a cop out, it means they get to look like they're promoting healthy eating while not really promoting a balanced diet, kids are scoffing loads of dried fruit, and don't have access to a water fountain during school hours except at lunch. And don't get me started on school dinners.

Am I being unreasonable?! What parameters does your school set? How do they promote and support healthy eating? Thoughts welcome before I book a chat with the headteacher :)

[SoupDragon]

There is nothing wrong with waffles, biscuits etc..

Apart from the quantity of refined sugar and "empty" calories of course.

[allegretto]

Cankeepawayforever - I have been told that anything other than fruit is not allowed and no exceptions are to be made.

[MadMags]

mumzy you're giving him dreadful habits.

Firstly, he could stop doing that sport at any time but he'll already be in the habit of snacking on "more filling" sugary crap.

Secondly, you're teaching him to disrespect the school's policy.

Thirdly, you're teaching him to be secretive about food.

Just a bit shit all round, really.

[Mumzypopz]

Worraliberty.....No, not dreadful at all. When did a couple of biscuits kill anybody. Kids need some fat in their diet. He eats perfectly healthy apart from a waffle and biscuits at breaktime.

[SoupDragon]

Children do need to eat some fat

And you think biscuits are the best way to provide this?

[WorraLiberty]

I do honestly think that a lot of today's 'skinny' kids will end up blaming future weight problems on all the snacks given to them by parents/schools/nurseries/baby groups etc.

They may be 'skinny' now, but as kids get older they tend to stop running around the playground, in favour of sitting and chatting to their friends. A lot of them will also drop sporting activities etc, as they head towards their GCSE/A Levels.

Yet their constant need to snack will very probably remain the same, as by then it's an ingrained habit.

[Mumzypopz]

Cantkeepawayforever...Don't think you understand...Childminder cannot provide food or give food on her premises. Not a choice I have made. Her inspector made it, and she abides by it so as not to lose her childminders licence. I'm perfectly happy giving him a waffle to eat later. It's worked well for a few years now. When they get to highschool they sell them all sorts at break you know, they don't stipulate just fruit there.

[WorraLiberty]

Mumzy, encouraging your child to tell lies to their teacher and sneak off to eat biscuits and waffles is dreadful.

[Mumzypopz]

Soup dragon....Two biscuits!!!! Get a life!!!! Do you kids never eat anything other than fruit!?

[Mumzypopz]

Worraliberty.....Who cares

[arethereanyleftatall]

Where's the op gone?

[hoddtastic]

mumzypopz, you need to home ed, that way you wouldn't be encouraging your kids to take the piss out of the professionals teaching him.

Bad enough you fill his pockets with tooth rotting shit- but to encourage him to lie. I cannot wait until this backfires upon you and it will

[MadMags]

Wow, how mature!

[Mumzypopz]

Anyway, he's not sneaking off...Just goes and eats them in the playground as do a lot of his mates

[cantkeepawayforever]

Allegretto, but I presume that is at breaktime - which I quite understand, as a universal rule is sensible to avoid discussion.

Have you suggested that you bring him in before school, or he is taken by a TA during registration time, to eat breakfast? So you are not asking them to vary their policy, but to move towards him eating a proper breakfast at a reasonable time, which will obviously be better than him not eating until 10.30 am. You may find it helps to move him towards eating breakfast at home, if he knows he will miss before school playtime to eat breakfast in school.

[CrazyCavalierLady]

What Worra has said

[MadMags]

You hide snacks from his teacher then he shows the apple and sneaks off to eat the shite!

How is that not dreadful?? On several levels!

[Trainspotting1984]

I don't think the notion that people never used to snack is quite right. After all tradition is elevenses and afternoon snack.

In the 70s convinience food was created to give people the idea to "snack on the go" but that wasn't the start of snacking.

[Sirzy]

I agree worra.

In fact I was that skinny child where the childhood eating habits came back to bite me on the arse when I stopped being as active and as an adult before I realised it I ended up 7 stone overweight. Took me 4 years to get back to a healthy weight.

Ds is underweight and under a dietician, even then though the focus is on developing a healthy diet not just letting him fill up on biscuits and crisps as much as he would love that!

[WorraLiberty]

Worraliberty.....Who cares

Well clearly you don't (right now) but you may well do in the future when he's telling you lies and secretly doing things behind your back.

Or when you get called to the school for the 3rd time that week, because he refuses to listen to what his teachers tell him, and stick to school rules.

I'm surprised this has to be spelled out to you really.

[Mumzypopz]

Hiddtastic....Don't be so nasty. Don't need to home ed at all. He has a fantastic education. Teachers don't really police it that much. Think they use a bit of common sense actually. Have you never eaten waffles or biscuits?!

[allegretto]

cantkeepawayforever - I appreciate you trying to find solutions but it's just not possible. We are not in the UK. DS has to arrive at school at 8.24 (yes - ridiculously precise time!) and cannot go in before. There are no TAs. They don't play before school. Any non-fruit items are binned! (And don't get me started on that particular rule - what a waste!)

[cantkeepawayforever]

Mumzy, I understand your point about the childminder, but am baffled by why she won't sort out her kitchen and do the minimal work it would take to get a food handling certificate, as this would be for the clear benefit of the children that she minds??

Does she just do before school fr older children? I would hate to have a baby / toddler unable to eat in their childminder's house?

[Mumzypopz]

Fruit rots teeth too

[IamFriedSpam]

There is nothing wrong with waffles, biscuits etc.....They are not going to kill him. But neither will just having fruit for snacks.

My child, my decision. Not when he's in school, there he has to follow school tules unless he has a very good reason not to.

I do agree it's a bit of a silly blanket rule but if you want to send him with biscuits and waffles YABU. He can clearly have a snack at the CM (you could drop something off for her in advance for him to have the following day) and after a big breakfast (or even an extra snack on the way to school) he should be fine until lunch. You do seem determined not to work within this school rule.